Clothes hanger



Sept. 24, 1968 w. R. BYRD 3,402,866

CLOTHES HANGER Filed on. 25, 1965 INVENTOR. WII-I-IAM l ByED United States Patent 3,402,866 CLOTHES HANGER William R. Byrd, Erie, Pa., assignor to Byrd Plastics, Inc., Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,783 1 Claim. (Cl. 223-91) This invention relates to clothes hangers and, more particularly, to an improved clothes hanger having a retainer member for holding a pair of pants or like garment thereto.

It is an object of the invention to provide a clothes hanger which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the hanger according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the hanger; and

FIG. 3 is a top view of the hanger.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, the hanger shown is generally U-shaped terminating in ends 11 and 12 with a hanger book 20 attached thereto at substantially the mid-point between the ends of the legs in the conventional manner. The crossbar 13 is integrally fixed to the ends 11 and 12 of the hanger, and the retainer member 16 is integrally attached at 17 to the end 12. The cross bar could be suitably attached to the end 17 instead of being integral by screwing, riveting, cementing, or the like.

The clamp hook 14 has a portion 15 that underlies the crossbar 13, and when the inner member is in a closed position, it supports the retainer member with a space between the bottom surface of the crossbar 13, and the top surface of the retainer member 16 approximately equal to the thickness of the garment. The retainer member 16 may be curved toward the crossbar 13, however, to provide a clamping action for the garment.

It will be noted that when the retainer member 16 is not engaged with hook 14, that it curves away from the crossbar 13, and the cross member 13 likewise curves away from the retainer member 16 so that when the retainer member 16 is forced under the hook 14, it will exert a torsional force on the end 17 and the contracting torsional force exerted by the crossbar 13 will cause the crossbar 13 to straighten its curved portion, and likewise the curved portion of the retainer member will be straightened by the torsional force. Therefore, they will lie almost in parallel relation to each other. The retainer member 16 also curves away from the crossbar so that it can be easily inserted into a pair of trousers.

The top surface 22 of the retainer member has a pimpled surface, and likewise the bottom surface 23 of the crossbar 13 may have a pimpled or ribbed surface, so that the garment will be held against slipping therebetween.

Patented Sept. 24, 1968 "ice The pimpled surface could be applied by applying a tape having suitable pimples thereon.

The hook may be inserted by molding a straight hole in the hanger. While the piece is still warm from molding, the hook, which has an upset halfway down the wire, is inserted. Thus, when it is pushed into the hole, the hook with upset is revolved in said hole and causes a groove to be made in the plastic which forms a tensioned revolving hook which can be pointed into advantageous positions for assembly line or closet use.

The shrinkage on the wire and the upset causes tension. Most all other hangers have loose revolving hooks, except those permanently fastened in one direction. The hook does not protrude past the hanger, thus eliminating riveting and fastening devices.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claim.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A clothes hanger having a generally U-shaped hanger body terminated in a first end and a second end spaced from said first end,

a crossbar attached to said ends,

a retainer member below said crossbar and fixed at one end to said crossbar at said first end,

a hook member secured to said crossbar at said second end and extending downwardly therefrom and having a hook portion spaced from said crossbar defining a space to receive the distal end of said retainer member,

said retainer member being made of resilient material,

the free end of said retainer member being adapted to be received under said hook member with said retainer and said crossbar defining a space t-herebetween extending substantially the entire distance between said first end and said second end,

said retainer being integrally fixed to said crossbar,

said crossbar being curved away from said retainer at said end that is fixed to said retainer,

and said retainer being curved away from said crossbar,

said curve of said crossbar and said curve of said retainer being straight when said retainer is received in said hook,

said hanger having a hook at the central position between said ends,

said retainer curving away from said crossbar in a plane at right angles to said first mentioned curve.

2/1931 Olson 223-91 12/1958 Batts 223-88 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CLOTHES HANGER HAVING A GENERALLY U-SHAPED HANGER BODY TERMINATED IN A FIRST END AND A SECOND END SPACED FROM SAID FIRST END, A CROSSBAR ATTACHED TO SAID ENDS, A RETAINER MEMBER BELOW SAID CROSSBAR AND FIXED AT ONE END TO SAID CROSSBAR AT SAID FIRST END, A HOOK MEMBER SECURED TO SAID CROSSBAR AT SAID SECOND END AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM AND HAVING A HOOK PORTION SPACED FROM SAID CROSSBAR DEFINING A SPACE TO RECEIVE THE DISTAL END OF SAID RETAINER MEMBER, SAID RETAINER MEMBER BEING MADE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL, THE FREE END OF THE RETAINER MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED UNDER SAID HOOK MEMBER WITH SAID RETAINER AND SAID CROSSBAR DEFINING A SPACE THEREBETWEEN EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID FIRST END AND SAID SECOND END, SAID RETAINER BEING INTEGRALLY FIXED TO SAID CROSSBAR, SAID CROSSBAR BEING CURVED AWAY FROM SAID RETAINER AT SAID END THAT IS FIXED TO SAID RETAINER, AND SAID RETAINER BEING CURVED AWAY FROM SAID CROSSBAR, SAID CURVE OF SAID CROSSBAR AND SAID CURVE OF SAID RETAINER BEING STRAIGHT WHEN SAID RETAINER IS RECEIVED IN SAID HOOK, SAID HANGER HAVING A HOOK AT THE CENTRAL POSITION BETWEEN SAID ENDS, SAID RETAINER CURVING AWAY FROM SAID CROSSBAR IN A PLANE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID FIRST MENTIONED CURVE. 